Points of Interest
These are locations which are worth keeping in mind when traveling across Ningonde. In these places, you can find anything from an ale and a warm bed to a chest full of loot or an orc's axe to the face. Visit them at your own peril. The Half-Dead Rat (Wamor) This infamous Wamorian tavern is known as a meeting spot for the thieves, smugglers, killers, thugs, and other lowlifes of the city, and abroad. Not always known by its current moniker, the Half-Dead Rat is just as likely to serve you an ale as it is a knife in the back. Even so, it's never hard to find a member of the local thieves' guild, or a contract for some smuggled goods. Just remember, while you may be learning interesting things, others may be just as keen to learn about you. The Tower of Iocha, The Treacherous Far in the eastern reaches of the Upper Wastes, The barren snow fields give way to a grim tower, made of obsidian, that once burned for days when The Order of the Heavenly Sword decided to punish refugees that had escaped their quest for "justice". The tower remains, but Iocha--who in reality was known for her kindness and wisdom, though history is written by the victors, as they say--and her people are naught but whispers and ghosts in the empty, scorched halls. The Shipyards at Cwimbroney In the easternmost mountains of the Upper Wastes, The Order of the Heavenly Sword has built its shipyards, the heart of its navy's resurrection and erstwhile headquarters of High Inquisitor Hrelgar. The keep is heavily guarded at all times, and its remote location means few ever chance the journey. Even so, a bold adventurer might find crucial information or treasure that may net them great profit. Challey Keep Another remote keep for The Order of the Heavenly Sword, Challey Keep stands isolated from the world. Little is known, as The Order heavily patrols the area, and aims to kill any intruders, intentional or otherwise. The Horse's Head (Taham) The secret tavern and meetup of Alendaria's underworld is a place of villainy, scoundrels, and legendary good times. The Horse's Head is a place of Truce among the great powers of the Alendarian underworld, and spilling a drop of blood, or even drawing weapons outside of a sanctioned fight results in terrible punishment. The Horse's Head has in the past been home to peace negotiations, the formation of great alliances, and even meetings between mortal enemies who regard each other dear comrades swapping war stories by the fire or trading blows in the ring. A great place to find contracts, opportunities, and intelligence. The Red Dragon Inn (Taham) The Red Dragon Inn is one of the finest establishments in Alendaria, and an inn of great renown. it is also the headquarters of Alendaria's Thieves' Guild. The inn serves as a front for distributing jobs, housing thieves in need of a safe haven, and being the central hub for the guild's command. Little goes on in the guild's scope of influence that doesn't make its way back to the Red Dragon. The Red Sphinx (Cirathien) A well known tavern in the Cirathean capital of Biburh, The Red Sphinx is a central location in the city for organized crime. From smugglers to assassins, every guild and clan has a representative constantly at the tavern, awaiting news or developments, or simply there to parlay with their counterparts in a different guild. A truce holds, and is kept fiercely, within the tavern's walls. fighting is strictly forbidden, unless it's in the ring, and any acts of violence or crime are taken as a declaration of war on EVERY guild in the city. As such, the Red Sphinx is usually one of the most discreet and safe locations in the city, regardless of the occasion. The Merciful Rope (Penca) A den of indulgence and crime in a city that forbids it sounds paradoxical, but such is the existence of The Merciful Rope. The bar is one of the few places where the Pencan government relaxes its strict laws on violence, vice, and other less-than-reputable activities. The bar was once controlled by one of the city's many criminal guilds, but its ownership became a matter of contention to the point of inciting a full on guild war in the city. In the end, the government intervened and declared the bar a true neutral area in a city that takes no sides. Today, guilds use the Rope as a meeting point, and a place to carry out communiques between Penca's power brokers without risking overstepping boundaries or territories. The Ruins of Nulbara The home of Scurbiron and his dwarven clan was once a magnificent subterranean fortress, carved by some of the most skilled stoneworkers in Ningonde. However, ambition drove the dwarves too deep, and there in the darkness they stumbled on something best left alone--a small tear in reality itself. Disregarding the risks, the Nulbara dwarves continued building around it, and used the resources available to them to close the tear. Their measures failed, however, and most of the city's dwarves fell before Harbek, in a final act of heroism, was able to reseal the gate. Now, the ruins stand as a quiet tomb and a monument to the dwarves' inventiveness, and their recklessness.